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My 15-month old is Mr. Thirst. He is weened (about 2 months now), but he has ravenous thirst and drinks about 50-60 ounces (ca. 1,6 liters) a day of fluids. We give him soy milk (he might be lactose-intolerant, we're not sure) and water, and occasionally watered-down juice. It seems to be way, way more than I first child needed. And most frustratingly, he demands fluids throughout the night.
Is this normal?
It is definitely something you should bring to the pediatrician's attention. It may be normal, but it can also be a sign of diabetes. Also, I caution against giving a child more than a couple cups of soy milk even if they are lactose-intolerant. The evidence is inconclusive but soy phytoestrogens may promote certain types of cancer. Soy milk also does not have as much fat as whole milk and dietary fat is crucial for brain development. Regardless, 50-60 oz. is a lot of fluid and worth getting a professional opinion on.
Usually the child knows best. As long as he is filling his diapers regularly and not showing any signs of sickness he should be fine. However in this situation I would take the little one to visit a doctor to check for any known diseases with this as a symptom.
Maybe he has some problem eating (due to teething etc) and rather drinks a lot then eat a lot. Maybe it is summer now and his body simply needs more fluids then you're previous child or he is growing faster/slower different.
